I Walked With Giants
by Madison Dyann
Summary: Formally 'The Walls of Troy'  3200 years ago
1. Homecoming

The sea expanded to the horizon before sweeping back to the beach and its clean white sand. The beach morphed into a grass less plain made of dried dirt and buried rocks. The city of Troy rose from this barren land like an oasis. Troy, the greatest city east of the Aegean Sea. Troy, home to the greatest archers the world had ever seen. Troy, home to Prince Hector; one of the best warriors the world had ever seen. Troy, my home.

As I looked out at the calm Aegean, the familiar loneliness that had left when I went to sleep the previous night regained its place in my stomach. It had been almost a month since my older brother Hector set out for his diplomatic trip to the Greek city-state of Sparta. My younger brother Paris went on left too, but I didn't miss him as much as I did Hector. He was the only man in my life who did not look down on me. Hector was my best friend.

Even though the sea was more than a mile from the city I could see it from my balcony in the royal palace which was the highest point in all of Troy. At the edge of my view, partially built on the beach, was the Temple of Apollo, the patron god of Troy. The large gold statue that was placed on the steps glimmered in the morning sunlight. I stood there, leaning on the edge of the balcony, staring out into the distance when a sound threatened to rid me of my loneliness. The sound of heavy bells filled the air. The ringing of the bells, which were placed on the wall above the Scaean Gate, the only gate leading into the city, meant a ship had been spotted on the horizon.

It took another three hours for the passengers of a single ship to reach the gates. In that time a parade had been arranged and spectators had started to gather along the main street which lead up to the palace. During that time I got ready for the pain of being in the public eye. I adorned a clean peplos; a tubular shaped piece of wool cloth that gathered at the waist and the bottom near the ankles. The cloth on the upper part was brought underneath the left arm and clipped together on the right shoulder using a golden pin. The dress was white except for five stripes of blue near the bottom. My sandals matched the color of the numerous pieces of gold jewelry I put on. I finished by weaving my long dark hair into a loose knot and applying a few decorative pieces.

I left my spacious room and headed for the great hall. I could hear the crowd cheering which told me my brothers were already through the gate. I picked up my pace just enough so I wasn't running. I met Andromache and young Astryanax along my way to the hall. Andromache was dressed in a similar fashion since she was the wife of Hector, who had yet to see his newborn son Astryanax. Paris had yet to choose which of the hundreds of women gushing after him he wanted to marry. As for me, my father, King Priam, had received many requests for my hand in marriage but I had refused them all. And since I was now at the old age of 17 I was worried my father would force me into an unwanted marriage.

I walked with my brother's family to the great hall where my father and the royals and people of importance were already gathered. I took my proper place; I stood next to the others as not to reduce my father's importance for he got to stand in the open air, at the top of steps which lead up to the hall. King Priam was old; he'd been ruler of Troy for some time now, since his father's death. And when our father died, Hector would take the thrown with Andromache at his side. Priam was a good king, maybe even a great one. He just wasn't a great father; not to me anyways.

Hector led the small group up the many steps to the place where my father stood proudly. He was taller than me by a few inches and his hair though the same color had more of a curl to it. Paris followed closely behind him. Paris was shorter and less athletic but face and hair slightly resembled his older brother. Both men were dressed in full armor but even though there was no threat of a battle I could see a tension in Hector's shoulder. I then watched with a mixture of confusion and a little envy as a woman, the same age as Paris, greet my father. Her hair was almost the same color as her gold jewelry. I could tell by the way she carried herself that she was royalty. I instantly became uncomfortable.


	2. Bells

I stood there in the shadows waiting, waiting for the excessive formalities to wavier and enable me to take in the reality of the situation. Paris had arrived in the accompany of woman who was obviously foreign to our shores. A woman who reeked of royalty and privilege. There were many explanations which would render the worried feeling in my stomach unnecessary. But if I knew my younger brother, nothing was ever worry free with him. The woman, whose blonde hair shone in the Trojan sunlight, had a sincere smile on her face but there was something underneath that smile, something in her eyes betrayed a feeling of fear and uncertainty

My father greeted her with no hesitation. His greeting to this stranger held much more affection in it than any my father had shown me in a very long time. After a few more minutes of greetings, everyone dissolved into the shadows of the palace away from the eyes of the crowd. My worries melted away, only temporarily, when Hector appeared in front of me. I had almost forgotten how much taller he was than me.

It was I who broke our happy reunion. "Who is she?" I regretted it the moment I said it. All traces of joy, along with the smile, left his face.

"Her name is Helen. She's Menelaus's wife." The last sentence was enough but I didn't have time to inquire more because Andromache had made her presence known and her young son commanded the rest of the Hector's attention.

The next week went by slowly with no word from Sparta or any of Greece. Hector was sure Menelaus would come for Helen with the help of his brother Agamemnon. And if that was true than the city of Troy would have to defend itself against all of Greece. But King Priam was determined to have life continue on unchanged. The only visible difference was the presence of patrolmen on the distant beach and more watchmen were placed on the high wall.

And the continuation of life meant another marriage proposal denied by me. That made three in the past year. I knew I should just accepted one and fallen into the role of wife hood as countless other woman have. The men weren't the problem either. They were all highly respectable and kind people. But marriage was not something I wanted, but neither was becoming an Apollonian priestess which was the only acceptable excuse a woman had to be unmarried.

But the petty worries of marriage were pushed from my mind when I head the bells. The sound echoed throughout the city. It was easy to tell from the frantic ringing that a large and immediate danger was approaching. From my window I could see a few, about five, white specks crossing the horizon. Each white speck represented a Greek ship, each carrying fifty or so men. I knew that in a few minutes many more small specks would join those in front. The bells continued their fanatic ringing.

When I was younger, I use to pose as a soldier and follow Hector and his men around. It didn't last long because Hector was much smarter than me but he also knew that I would continue to impersonate a soldier no matter what happened. He felt that the only way to protect me was let join him. My only restriction was that I had to follow every order Hector gave, which I gladly accepted. I never saw any combat, due to Hector's restriction, but Hector made certain that I knew how to defend myself. And even through almost every soldier knew about my involvement, my father was ignorant, or at least he acted like it.

I wasn't sure what caused me to take part in these dangerous actions. In every day life, I was clumsy, to say the least. It wasn't uncommon for me to run into doors, knock over vases and trip up the stairs. My hyperactivity and irritability only made things worse. This life of luxury I lived did not make things better either. All the free, down time made me anxious and twitchy. In order to fill my time, I volunteered in the sick bay, but there were only so many sick and injured people to help.

Fighting, and volunteering, allowed me to focus my renegade energy and abilities. While I could hold my own with a sword, archery was my forte. The simplistic task of drawing an arrow and pulling back the bow and releasing seemed to counteract my unbalances. But taking aim at a straw dummy or hitting each other with a wood sword was nothing like hitting an actual person with an actual weapon, as Hector constantly told me. Never had I killed someone or even been in real combat with another person. But none of this came to mind as I rushed out of my room and headed towards the armory.


	3. War

Another condition for me to shadow Hector and his men was that my armor, which had once belonged to Hector, and sword must be kept in the armory. This allowed Hector to have more control over my unusual hobby. The city was in a frenzy as the bells continued to sound. Shop keepers quickly closed their windows and took shelters inside their homes while mothers chased their children to safety.

I pulled my hood up as I jogged around to the side entrance of the large armory in order to avoid the large crowd of young men rushing to prepare for battle. The majority of soldiers have the same armor and weaponry. The same tiled awry of metal melted and hammered into a lightly weighted and flexible but strong chest plate. The greaves and gauntlets were made of the same material with weathered straps to fasten them to the limbs. The bottom held no metal, thus providing practically no protection. All it was just a piece of blue cloth sewn to size.

When Hector out grew his armor, I took it for my own even though it was still slightly too big for me. The armory was so chaotic no one noticed me change into my used armor. Next, I forced my hair up in low bun. When I was younger, it was easy for my thin body to pass as a boy's, but as I grew it became increasingly difficult for me to pass as a soldier. Only my helmet and shine guards ceased any obvious signs of womanhood.

My sword had also once belonged to Hector. The leaf-shaped blade was two and half feet long and the hilt occupied another six inches. The bronze sword was lighter than it looked, but wielding it for two long became a laborious task. I sheathed my sword, grabbed a bow and a quarrel of arrows off the rack before exiting the armory. I pulled myself up on a saddled horse, intent on following the trail of Hector's cavalry members out of the city.

"Did your brother give you permission to be out here?" A soldier asked me in a quaint tone. I immediately recognized the soldier who leading against the stone wall, adjusting his greaves. The man, who was same age as Hector, was stocky and strong with auburn hair, fair skinned and handsome.

"Aeneas, when do I ever ask permission?" I said with a smile as the old friend placed his helmet on his head and climbed onto his steed. Aeneas was Hector's principal lieutenant and a good friend.

"Never. But maybe you should sit this one out. The Greeks aren't like the barbaric tribes we usually encounter." We started off towards the gate together.

"If I'm not mistaken, Aeneas, it sounds like you're worried for me?" Aeneas was probably the only person who encouraged my hobby. Many of times it was Aeneas who talked Hector into allowing me to come along.

"Well, I would hate for you to die before you can deny my marriage proposal." He said with a laugh. Aeneas had been joking about asking Priam for my hand for a few months now but he had yet to act on his words.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Hector and his cavalry arrived at the beach, where the war had already started. Only two Greeks ships had landed on the beach but the hundreds of others strayed just off shore. I strayed away from the battle, as Hector instructed. I watched as Aeneas and Hector slip up; Aeneas took a few men to aid those on the beach while Hector took the rest to Apollo's temple, where a large number of Greeks had gathered.

My position was only visible to those in the temple, so I was relatively safe from un-seen attackers. Only a minute, maybe two passed since Hector and his men had disappeared inside the temple before I became uncomfortable and anxious. I could hear sounds of death and survival coming from the beach, but nothing from the temple. The horses, which I was put in charge of, moved nervously, obviously unsettled by the mixture of silence and excitement.

Four minutes passed and no one had yet to exit the temple. Determined not to disobey Hector's orders to not enter the temple, I grabbed his horse by the reins and pulled him along as I moved around to the back of the temple, where the only other exit was. I removed my helmet, due to the heat, and wrapped the extra reins around my wrist. As the horse and I neared the final corner, I removed an arrow and set it in the bow but I did not draw back. No one was on the back platform, which was hidden from view from anyone on the beach.

But then I saw movement, movement which made me draw back and almost fire. Looking back, I wished I had let go and let the arrow fly. A soldier, clearly a Greek, walked casually out onto the platform. At first he didn't notice me; he was looking over his shoulder. But when he did, he simply stared. He had long blonde hair and was surprisingly handsome. I was unsure of how to react to his lack of hostility. When he spoke, he took me completely off guard.

"So you must be Hector's sister. I'm surprised you allowed her to be here." The Greek spoke the second part to Hector, who had slowly appeared from inside the temple.

Hector gave me a quick look but ignored the man. "Why did you come here?" Hector asked with his sword still pointed at the Greek.

"They will be talking about this war for a thousand years." The man said causually.

"In a thousand years the dust from our bones will be gone." Both Hector and I we confused by the man's motives.

"Yes, Prince. But our names will remain." At that moment a large number of armed Greeks poured out of the temple. I pulled back on the string once more, prepared for any sign of an attack. "Go home, Prince. And take your sister with you. Drink some wine and make love to your wife. Tomorrow, we will have our war."


	4. Proposals

I spent the majority of the afternoon in the sick bay. By my calculations, about sixty men were killed at the beach that morning while another hundred were injured. One of those injured was Aeneas, who stubbornly refused to lay down so I could sew the cut on his side more easily. The cut was long, but it wasn't deep. It started just under his arm before traveling down to the front of his stomach. I had finally managed to stop the bleeding, but Aeneas' constant movement threatened to reopen the wound.

"Are you done yet?" The man asked sarcastically.

"Nearly. Just don't move for another minute." Even as I said it, I made the last stitch and tied the wound off.

"Took you long enough." I heard Aeneas mutter under his breath. Our brief conversation was interrupted when Astynome, a servant in the palace, appeared.

"The King requires your presence." She said to me. The young girl was only about thirteen but she had been working in the palace along side her mother for a few years now. I looked at Aeneas hoping for an explanation but all he gave me was an odd look.

* * *

After the normal round of formalities, my father, King Priam, took my hand as he always did and lead me on a walk though one of the many palace gardens. The sun had yet to set but the sky was already a mixture of reds and yellows in the west. "My child, I have two things to discuss with today. Both of which I am certain you will not find pleasure in. The first is not my doing, but the second is. I have much faith and pride in you, even though I do not show it often."

"What is it you wish to tell me, father?" I asked with the respectful tone my father deserved.

"Unfortunately, another suitor has come forward. Young Aeneas, I believe you know him, has asked for your hand." Priam said it bluntly; as though he already knew my answer. But _I_didn't know my answer. All the other men I hadn't known very well, so it was easy to deny them. But Aeneas? I had known Aeneas all my life. He was friend. Probably my only friend outside of the family.

But, thankfully, my father did not wait for an answer. "But that is the least of our problems at the moment. As you know, the Greeks have invaded our shores. There have already been causalities on both sides but we can still hope for a peaceful resolution to this conflict. This is why the Council and I, mainly me, have decided to name you as the Trojan emissary to the Greeks during this current discord."

If I was shocked by Aeneas' proposal, I was shaken by my father's request. I couldn't do that. I had no training in how to negotiate with people. And surely my father knew of my inability to keep my composure, especially when I was angry. Even though I was sure he had previously known of my shortcomings, I felt the need to remind my father of them.

"Alexus, even though our relationship is not the best, do you believe I would put you in any situation, especially one as serious as this, if I did not think you were capable?" The answer was no. Though I did believe my father did not particularly like me, I also believed that he never wished me ill. He had never put me in any position that I could not handle. But being an envoy to the Greeks? This was much larger than anything else he had asked of me. Larger than marriage. Nevertheless, I accept my father's task with a heavy heart and mind.

* * *

Dusk had fallen when Asteropaios and I arrived at the Greeks' camp on the beach. Asteropaios was a minor officer in Hector's army and had been assigned as my guardian during my trips into the Greek camp. He was dressed in his usual combat attire. Only his spear and shield were absent. His sword was tied protectively to his side.

I was dressed modestly; with plain white robes and a black riding cloak. The only jewelry present was modest gold earrings. I unbraided my hair, so it fell down my back like a dark curtain. Hidden beneath my robes, on my hip, was a single straight knife, which Asteropaios had given me before we left the city. His insistence that I take it farther unnerved me. I wan't sure what had me so upset. Priam had given me strict instructions and requests to relay to the Greeks. All I had to do was reiterate the King's wishes, listen to theirs, and, after each group's wishes had denied by the opposing team, go home.

We left our horses at the edge of the camp. The sizeable camp had taken up the entire width of the beach. Numerous huts were built, or still in the process of being completed, a short distance from the tide and beached ships. Many fires had been started. As I voluntarily walked though enemy territory, I refrained from looking around. To curb my curiosity, I kept my hood up. I didn't want too much attention drawn to us.

I didn't know what to expect as I followed the watchman onto the large ship, which I presumed was Agamemnon's. Asteropaios was never more than a foot away from me. A large pergola had been erupted on the deck of the wooden ship. I didn't have time to take a breath before we were lead directly into the tent.


End file.
